Seat-lifter.



C. A. -WULF.

SEAT LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.28, I917.

1 ,278, 546 Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

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.my invention.

CHARLES A. TITLE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SEAT-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed December 28, 1917. Serial No. 209,243.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WULF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State. of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Seat-Lifter, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my present invention to provide an automaticspring device for lifting a seat when the occupant rises, without producing any jar on the associated parts, by which jar troublesome and expensive breakages have been caused in connection with other seat lifters.

In carrying out my invention, I provide.

a spring device, which tends to raise the seat to a definite position, by the contraction of the spring, but which holds the spring in such a position so that when it becomes fully contracted the parts do not engage to prevent further movement, thereby occasioning a breakin jar, but instead the spring automatically Iiends on itself to allow the seat to swing past this point, producing a spring distortion which automatically returns the seat to the desired position.

The accompanying drawing illustrates Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water closet bowl and seat equipped with a seat lifter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such seat lifter, with fragments of the water closet bowl and seat; and Fig. 3 is a detail of the yoke at the spring end and its connection to the spring.

The water closet bowl 10 and seat 11 are of any desired type, and the seat is mounted on a rearward extension 12 of the bowl on any suitable hinges 13. A metal strap 14: is mounted beneath the hinged posts between them and the extension 12, and is provided at one end, at the side of the extension 12, with a down-turned arm 15. Another metal strap 16 is fastened to the under side of the seat 11 and projects rearwardly therefrom. The lower end of the arm 15 and the rearward end of the strap 16 are connected by a tension spring 17. The connection between the spring end and the arm or strap is by a U-shaped yoke 18, between the legs of which the arm 15 or strap 16 extends, the yoke being connected tosuch arm Or strap by a pivot bolt 19. The yoke and spring are rigidly connected together in any suitable manner, as by providing the yoke with an extension 20 over which the spring end tightly fits, as shown in Fig. 3. The pivotholes for the bolt 19 are so located that the base 21 of the yoke 18 lies closely against the edge of the arm 15 or strap 16, which at the ends are rounded off to form-semi-circular portions 22 concentrio with the bolt 19. As a result, the yoke 18 may swing around the end of the arm 15 or strap 16, but its swinging in the other directionclockwise beyond the position shown in relation to the strap 16 or counterclockwise beyond the position shown in relation to the arm 15is prevented by the engagement of the base 21 with the edge of the strap or arm. This limiting of the movement of the yoke 18 causes the spring 17 to be held in a curved position both when it is extended and when it is fully contracted, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

Thus when the seat 11 is lowered the spring 17 is extended. When the occupant rises the spring 17 contracts to raise the seat 11. If when the spring 17 is fully contracted it were in a straight line, the successive turns of the spring would come together abruptly and limit the upward swinging of the seat 11, thus creating a jar which would break off the rearward extension 12 of the bowl 10. However, by having the spring 17 curved as shown when it reaches this fully contracted position, this jar is absolutely prevented, and the force due to the momentum of the upward movement of the seat 11 merely causes the spring 17 to bend from the full-line position to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, allow ing the seat 11 to swing on to the dotted line position, the yokes 18 swinging around the ends of the arm 15 and strap 16. This on-swinging of the seat 11 is gradually stopped, however, by the tendency which the spring 17 has to straighten itself, which tendency first stops the on-swinging of the seat 11 and then swings such seat back from the dotted line position to the full-line position. By thus avoiding all jar when the spring 17 reaches its contracted position, all tendency to break the bowl 10 by the rising of the seat is eliminated.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seat lifter, comprising two arms extending from the seat and from the support on which such seat is pivotally mounted, a

tension spring connecting said two arms and tending by its contraction to lift the seat, and means for holding .said sp ring out of a straight line when it becomes fully contracted so that it will bend laterally by the compressive force due tothe momentum of the rising seat upon reaching such position of full contraction.

2. A seat lifter, comprising two arms extending from the seat and from the support *on which such seat is pivotally mounted, a tension spring connecting said two arms and tending by its contraction to lift the seat, and a yoke rigid with an end of said spring and pivoted to 0119015 said arms and cooperating therewith to hold suchi spring out of a straight line position when it reaches full -con'tract-ion.=-

3. A seat lifter, comprising a tension spring connected to a pivoted seat and to a stationary member so that it tends by its contraction to lift the seat when it is lowered, and means for holding said spring out of a straight line when it becomes fully contracted so that it will bend laterally by the compressive force due to the momentum of the rising seat upon reaching such position of full contraction.

to hold suchs pring outof a straight line position when it reaches full contraction.

In witness whereof, I have'hereunto set my handat Fairmont, WVest Virginia, this 19th day of December A, I). one thousand nine hundred and-seventeen.

- CHARLES A. WULF,

copies of this'patent'may be obtained'for-fivecents each, by addressing the Gommission'er otlfate'nts,

' Washington, D. 0." 

